Play Dead for Me: A heart-stopping crime thriller (Frankie Sheehan 1)
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By Olivia Kiernan
avg rating
2 reviews
This novel was previously published as Too Close to Breathe.
Perfect for fans of Tana French, Jane Casey and Gillian Flynn
‘Truly first class. Just knock-out’ C. J Tudor, author of The Chalk Man
‘Fantastic . . . Compelling, chilling and brilliant’ Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend
‘Mesmerizing . . . murder, betrayal, and secret lives . . . Everything you need in a great thriller’ Lisa Gardner, author When You See Me
Respected scientist Dr Eleanor Costello is found hanged in her immaculate home: the scene the very picture of a suicide.
DCS Frankie Sheehan is handed the case, and almost immediately spots foul play.
As Frankie strives to paint a picture of the killer, and their victim, she starts to sense they are part of a larger, darker
canvas, on which the lines between the two blur.
Olivia Kiernan’s debut is a bold, brilliant thriller that will keep you guessing and leave you breathless.
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When Eleanor Costello is found hanging from the ceiling in her immaculate home, the police launch into action. Although it looks like a classic case of suicide, Frankie Sheehan DCS, star of the show, realises that something is not quite right and sets up a murder investigation. When Eleanor’s computer reveals forays into the Dark Web and it also becomes apparent that her husband is missing, it begins to look as though this could be a very complex case indeed.
This is a fabulous police procedural and Frankie’s debut onto the literary scene. She is a great character whose back story is drip-fed to us as the book progresses. It features a well-developed plot and is a real page-turner with plenty of tension. I’m not sure that it is a particularly memorable book, it’s just a very good crime story with a great detective. I am looking forward to meeting Frankie again and getting to know her better.
On the downside, there are just a couple of minor points. The first is that I had absolutely no idea what Frankie Sheehan looked like. I am not sure whether I missed some crucial descriptions on the way through or whether there just weren’t any. It does feel slightly odd not to be able to conjure up a picture of the person whose mind I have been inhabiting for the last few days. I also realised in retrospect that the plot comes close to breaking one of the cardinal rules of crime fiction. As I was so engrossed in the book I did not notice this at the time so I don’t think it is a major issue.
I can’t wait for the next in the Frankie Sheehan series. Olivia can certainly write a gripping police procedural and she has also invented a very likeable main character.
A great debut book by this author. Tight writing and very readable, although the subject matter can be disturbing at times. There is a back story, which makes you think this is maybe a second novel, but it is just good writing. Looking forward to more about this female Irish detective.
